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Ferguson fits in fine with Texans

Nick Ferguson couldn't be happier about signing with the Houston Texans, whose leadership looks familiar to the veteran safety. (Joshua Duplechian, Special to The Denver Post )

Nick Ferguson was at a point in life where he needed his old friends.

Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak were there for him. A starting strong safety for most of the last five seasons with the Broncos, Ferguson signed a one-year contract Wednesday with the Houston Texans, whose administrative hierarchy is stacked with former Broncos Smith and Kubiak.

"It was a great five years with the Broncos," Ferguson said. "Apparently, I did enough in those five years to impress Coach Kubiak and Rick Smith. I had a great visit. They need some safety help. They want to get aggressive and I look forward to the opportunity."

Ferguson's departure leaves the Broncos with only five starting players — John Lynch, Tom Nalen, Champ Bailey, D.J. Williams and Domonique Foxworth — from their 2005 AFC title game.

Ferguson, 33, missed the final six games of the 2006 season with a knee injury, but returned to the starting lineup for seven of the first eight games of 2007. He was replaced early in that eighth game at Detroit by Hamza Abdullah, who started the rest of the season.

A walk-on at Georgia Tech and an undrafted rookie in 1996, Ferguson was brought to Denver in 2002 at the recommendation of Smith, who was then the Broncos' director of pro personnel. Now the Texans' general manager, Smith again added Ferguson to a roster that is coached by Kubiak, a former Broncos offensive coordinator.

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